Yggdrasill / Books (2023), the bronze sculpture stands at a height of 3 meteres by Yuichi Hirako, reflect his connection to deep ecology. To embody the narrative aspect of his works, Hirako created a hybrid character. Resembling the human form, it is portrayed as a figure who leisurely spends days living harmoniously with other creatures in the forest.
The bronze sculpture may be interpreted as a portrait of the artist himself or as an allegorical representation of an individual with a relationship to plants or nature in various ways. It represents the collective outcome of Hirako's practice and ongoing endeavours to alter our perceptions of the world.
Yuichi Hirako (b.1982, Japan) has been exploring the coexistence and interdependent relationship between nature, flora, fauna, and humans with his own elaborate lexicon of symbols. He combines painting, sculpture, and installation to create three-dimensional representations of the themes in his work.
